Like fixing cars? Get the training you need at Northeast Iowa Community College.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

In her role she leads the inventory team, keeps operations running smoothly when the manager is away, does repairs as needed and trains employees. The Automotive Technology program at the College prepared her for a career she loves.

Her family includes professionals in government, engineering, the pharmaceutical industry and finance. Yet, Brittany Winter always wanted to be surrounded by cars, engines and tools ever since high school – she enjoyed doing something hands-on and developing her skills, even as the only girl in the auto classes.

“I’m not a feminist, but it shouldn’t matter what gender you are as long as you know what you’re doing,” the 2020 Northeast Iowa Community College Automotive Technology graduate said. “Growing up I always knew robots would be able to fix everything, but cars are advanced and need people to diagnose and repair them. Vehicles are so important to our lives. You can’t do much in life without them.”

Brittany began her professional auto tech career in June 2020, shortly after graduation, at O’Reilly Auto Parts in Dubuque. She received a promotion to assistant manager in January. In her role she leads the inventory team, keeps operations running smoothly when the manager is away, does repairs as needed and trains employees. The Automotive Technology program at the College prepared her for a career she loves.

“Everything I learned in the Auto Tech program, especially the more in-depth and hands-on learning, prepared me for my career. The instructors are amazing. Now I'm training new employees as an assistant manager!” Brittany expressed.

While she was a student at the Calmar campus, the graduate worked at an auto dealership in Elkader during the summer months. Several scholarships supported Brittany’s education and training, including a Quad Cities Auto Scholarship and the 1966 Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation Scholarship. She enrolled in Automotive Technology at the Calmar campus because she sought a comprehensive two-year degree program.

In her spare time she’s rebuilding a transmission for a friend and looks toward a future at a major auto dealership in northeast Iowa. “Finding a job someday at a dealership will give me so much more real-world experience. I’ll learn so much and it widens my knowledge of different autos,” Brittany expressed.

Fine-tune your auto mechanics knowledge and skills at Northeast Iowa Community College. Learn more at www.nicc.edu/powermechanics!